US Lags in Aquaculture

More than 80 percent of seafood consumed in the United States is imported from other countries and in most cases is farm raised. Farm raised seafood may come from other countries with less stringent health and environmental regulations. The United States is falling behind. The world is turning to aquaculture due to the decline in wild populations with half of the world’s seafood coming from aquaculture production. In the US only 10 percent of seafood is produced by aquaculture with 80 percent imported causing a seafood trade deficit. Although the US could provide seafood through aquaculture there are a host of policy issues including health, environmental, and economic concerns. Environmentalists have fought to protect overfished and endangered species, and also have concerns regarding the antibiotics and chemicals used to raise fish in fish farms. Commercial fishermen have economic concerns with regard to retaining jobs in the industry, and there are concerns about the government securing regulations regarding aquaculture in federal waters.

Bills have been introduced in congress in an effort to streamline the permitting process as well as facilitating aquaculture in federal waters. For the most part many of the bills introduced have not gone anywhere. There have been a number of issues facing the aquaculture industry in the US. Disease is responsible for major economic losses to aquaculture, making disease prevention and treatment a critical need for the industry and an important focus for research needed to support aquaculture development. Approaches to prevention include good husbandry and management to minimize stress and exposure to pathogens; vaccines, if available; and culture of disease-resistant or certified disease-free stocks.  Inadequate resources for disease treatment impedes the growth of aquaculture.  Few approved are available, and those that exist are targeted to specific organisms and diseases.  Veterinary and diagnostic services are patchily available nationwide, and many states lack adequate resources of this kind.  The expertise involved in introducing and gaining regulatory approval of new aquaculture drugs and the small market for these drugs discourage pharmaceutical industries from pursuing their development. Federal regulations regarding aquatic animal health treatment attempt to serve many goals: protection of aquatic animals (cultured and wild), human consumers, and the environment. Greater coordination of agencies and programs with a stake in aquatic animal health in aquaculture can improve performance with respect to regulatory goals.  Changes in the new drug approval process could remove a significant impediment to industry development.